Community Forums

SageTrek · 01-06-2022, 10:46 AM

Hi fellow 5ers,

We've been traveling the country full-time for the last 14 months and I wanted to compare notes on the worst winds you have encountered in your travels. Here's my short list of worst and areas that I thought would be bad but we traveled through on a good day:

Worst:
1) Columbia River Valley, approaching Portland from the east
2) West Texas
3) Arizona-New Mexico border

Surprisingly we've avoided the worst winds in Wyoming and Colorado, although that I-25 south of Trinidad nearly made the list.

motocycle · 01-06-2022, 11:05 AM

Federation bridge from Prince Edward island to mainland. Driving old Ford class B. One vehicle after me allowed to cross then bridge shut down.

radar · 01-06-2022, 11:15 AM

Isthmus de tehuantepec on the way to Oaxaca in our little Class C. 140 kmh gusts. Semis flipped over all over the place. Crazy. We pulled in behind a gas station and waited a day for it to get better before moving on.

Greg20d · 01-06-2022, 11:47 AM

Amarillo Tx.
I 80 in Wyoming

swampdog2 · 01-06-2022, 11:55 AM

Cody Wy almost turned my rig over ! Lifted 2 wheels off the ground

Isaac-1 · 01-06-2022, 01:28 PM

Worst experiences with winds was in Texarkana, Texas of all places as I was trying to get to the fairgrounds there for an FMCA regional rally a few years ago. Winds started getting bad, gusting to over 40 mph when I was 15-20 miles away, when I was 2-3 miles out from my destination one gust hit so hard that I suddenly found myself driving on the shoulder on I-30, I slowly drove the last couple of miles to the fair grounds at 10-15 mph below the speed limit. When I got there doing check in we had to shelter behind the RV, while checking in I saw some of the 55 gallon heavy metal drum trash cans go tumbling end over end across the field in the wind. Later that day the weather service reported wind gusts to 55 mph a few miles outside Texarkana.

Second worst was probably west bound on I-80 while westbound at the pass just east of Laramie, WY, a tanker truck about half a mile behind me overturned and ended up in the median

rarebear.nm · 01-06-2022, 02:06 PM

I rarely operate an RV in winds over 40 mph. Just hunker down and wait it out. Once noted exception was on the Dempster "highway" Northwest Territory north of the Arctic Circle in mid June 2018. Hit an unexpected blizzard with winds hitting 70 mph dumping 8" of snow. We were on the open tundra plains at the time. Turned it around and retreated about 20 miles into a canyon that offered reasonable shelter. Sat it out there with a couple other RVs and some motorcycle folks that had also gotten caught in the storm.

Another area that gets regular strong cross winds in New Mexico on US 285 just south 0f the Colorado state line for about 20 miles. It can be fine either direction from there but that really gets the wind.

The twin bridges on I-25 at Nogal Canyon just north of Truth or Consequences, NM can be dicey at times. Very strong canyon cross winds when others areas are almost calm.

I also have experience with some the same areas other posters have noted.

dizcom · 01-06-2022, 02:34 PM

San Gorgonio Pass. Many years ago driving south on 62 from Morongo Valley approaching the I-10 a gust came out of nowhere that blew me from the right lane to the left lane. Before I could recover, another gust blew me from the left lane into the island. It's a sandy island and maneuvering in it or slamming the brakes is out of the question without completely losing control. I had already let off the gas and kept the wheel straight, but I was heading directly toward the oncoming lanes (my inner voice used language I can't repeat here). The sandy part was also fortunate. Just before I reached the pavement heading the other way, I stopped.

The I-10 makes some s-turns as you go through the pass. I couldn't count the number of flipped RVs, trucks, and the occasional train I've seen through there over the years. It comes up on you fast. One moment it's a bit windy, and the next you hit the venturi between the mountains and the wind is irresistible. There's a rest stop near there where the wind is often so bad that you can lean into it and it will hold you upright.

**hamm2018** · 01-06-2022, 04:08 PM

Galveston island this past weekend. Sitting there Sunday we had 45MPH winds with gusts to 55 -60 MPH all day and evening. We received damage to our large slide-out cover, winds ripped the cover for about 5-6 inches from the end.

SageTrek · 01-06-2022, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamm2018

Galveston island this past weekend. Sitting there Sunday we had 45MPH winds with gusts to 55 -60 MPH all day and evening. We received damage to our large slide-out cover, winds ripped the cover for about 5-6 inches from the end.

I'm with you on that Hamm, we just pulled into Galveston KOA on Saturday and that mess hit Sunday. Incredible winds! I didn't count it my list because thankfully we didn't have to drive through it

tpaul · 01-06-2022, 07:36 PM

Consistently I 80 Wyoming. Especially around Elk Mountain. Last year with the trailer had 65 mph gusts. Closed to high profile vehicles. Last November with just the Yukon, 70-75 mph gusts and again closed to high profile vehicles. Got to the Wagonhound rest area at the top of a hill and could barely stand up against the wind.

sawmillman · 01-06-2022, 07:43 PM

Traveling west to east in Kansas. Drove several hundred miles with my steering wheel turned to about 2 oclock.

F4Gary · 01-06-2022, 08:26 PM

Almost 300 kt headwind flying from the east coast back to DFW.
Took forever to get home!

LAKnox · 01-06-2022, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F4Gary

Almost 300 kt headwind flying from the east coast back to DFW.
Took forever to get home!

[Moderator Edit] were you "driving"?! :-) I do know someone who flew a DC-8 that was making about 850 mph ground speed. We flew a mid-50's vintage V-35 from PHX to DEN 48 years ago and were making 80-90 mph ground speed. Ouch!

Lyle